Adventures of a Phantom Thief
by Mystic Dragon
Summary: A collection of short stories mostly featuring Kaitou Kuroba/Kaitou Kid, with appearances from Detective Conan characters, and references to them...hence the category being DC and not MK . Each story was written for a prompt challenge.
1. Jailbird

Written for the Writing Survivor challenge on SHINE...we were allowed to pick any fandom, and have to complete a daily prompt/challenge by the daily deadline in order to stay in the game. I chose Detective Conan/Magic Kaitou...this is the first entry.

**Words:** 1,430  
**Character(s):** Kaitou Kuroba (Kaitou Kid), Aoko Nakamori, mentions Shinichi Kudou  
**Pairings:** Slight Kaitou/Aoko  
**Raiting:** G  
**Prompt:** #1; "My bathroom is too small for dancing."  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine!! Gosho Aoyama owns all!  
**Notes:** "keibu" means "inspector"; this takes place after my fic, "Rebirth"

* * *

Jailbird

"The biggest news of the week is the capture of the illustrious thief, Kaitou Kid, by high school detective Kudou Shinichi. Kid is currently being held in prison as he awaits a trial for his crimes and unmasking. He doesn't seem disappointed in his capture, much to our amazement. There are thousands of Kid supporters shouting for the release of the thief, while Nakamori-keibu is working out the dates of the unmasking…"

A girl of about 17 years of age with brown hair that went down to the small of her back and blue eyes snorted and turned off the evening news. "It's about time he was caught! Now dad won't be so stressed out about capturing him!"

The girl, who was named Aoko Nakamori, paused at that thought. "Then again…he seems a little disappointed that he won't be able to chase him around anymore. Dad sure is strange."

Aoko went up the stairs of the house to the second floor, intent on going to bed. She had already gotten washed up, and was dressed in a pair of yellow flannel pajamas with pink stars on them.

Yet, when she opened the door to her room, she knew something was wrong.

The less obvious thing would be the slight breeze that was in her room when she _knew_ she had closed the window prior to watching the late night news..

Yet, it was wide open…and not only that, but the moonlight illuminated the white clad figure that sat on her windowsill.

Anyone and their cat could have recognized the person that sat idly on her sill.

White suit, blue collared undershirt, red tie, white top hat, monocle that covered his right eye, dark brown hair, white shoes…

…it was the infamous Kaitou Kid.

Otherwise known as Kaitou Kuroba, but only a few were privileged in that knowledge.

The girl in the room wasn't one of the few.

Not yet, at least, and Kaitou wouldn't know how to tell her, anyway, seeing as they were childhood friends, classmates…and maybe something more.

But that was when he was Kaitou Kuroba.

Now, he was Kaitou Kid…a cross between the Lupin and Robin Hood of the 20th century…and currently, jailbird.

For a moment the two just stared at each other, though there was a perpetual grin on Kid's face.

Finally, Aoko narrowed her eyes at the thief. "What are _you_ doing here? I thought you were in jail!"

Kid made a 'tsk' sound as he almost soundlessly hopped down from the window to stand in the room. "My dear lady, you forget…I am a magician. I am the wind. There is no cage in the world that can hold me. Besides…the game wouldn't be fun if I only lost one round out of many against that detective."

Aoko counted back from ten to one before she spoke again. "Okay…so…you broke out of prison. Then what the hell are you doing _in my room_!?"

Kid shrugged. "You wish me not to be here?"

"Of course I don't want you here! I hate you! Dad chases you all over the place, and when you finally get caught…you _escape_! How?!"

Kid just grinned and winked. "Oh, but you must know…a magician _never_ reveals his secrets."

"You'll be caught again easily."

"Mm…hard to say, really. This is the first time Kudou actually won out of all the clashes we've had."

"What clashes?!"

Kid chuckled. Of course she wouldn't know…the entire story of Kudou Shinichi and Edogawa Conan was a secret that only a few knew of, much like his identity.

Which Kudou also knew, but it never stopped their game.

Perhaps they were just giant children playing thief and detective at this point, but neither backed down.

"You didn't answer my question. What are you doing in my room? That's breaking and entering!"

"Miss Aoko…I do that for a living all the time," Kid replied in an amused tone of voice.

Aoko flushed red, then growled. Then, in a display of courage, she lunged at the thief with a rally cry. "Then I'll catch you, and bring you back to my father!"

Kid laughed as he easily jumped out of the way.

"Get back here!" Aoko fumed. "I'm going to catch you for _good_ this time! I'll see to it that you're stopped!"

"But you cannot deny how much fun your father has trying to catch me. He seemed disappointed at my capture."

Aoko lunged again.

Again, Kid dodged.

"That's because he wasn't the one to catch you!"

More laughter from the thief. "You don't seriously believe that, do you?"

"He spends too much time chasing you!"

"It's his job, miss."

"Argh!" Aoko growled, then made another lunge.

At this point, their chase had gone into the hallway, and they were getting fairly close to the stairs.

"Get back here!" Aoko threatened as she lunged.

Kid smirked and dodged…then the smirk fell off his face when he saw Aoko stumble towards the stairs. Immediately, he reached out and grabbed her arm, then swung around and pushed off with his planted foot.

The result was the two of them falling into the washroom of the Nakamori household.

The door slammed shut behind them from their crash, and the hamper was upset and crashed into the door.

For a moment, there was no sound except the harsh, panicked breaths of Aoko and the adrenaline fueled breathing of Kid.

Then, Aoko realized that she was on the bathroom floor, with her father's greatest enemy over her…no…on _top_ of her.

Kid made an 'oof' sound as he was roughly pushed away.

"Wonderful…the door was damaged…" Aoko muttered as she inspected the door in an attempt not to think about her racing heart. She hated Kid…didn't she?

Kid chuckled. "Do I at least get a 'thank you' for saving you from an untimely flight down the stairs?"

Aoko glared at him in response.

Kid just laughed and stood up.

Aoko finally gave up on the door, and slumped against the wall. "It's not fair. It's late, I'm tired, and I'm stuck in my own bathroom with the likes of _you_."

"I don't mind our predicament."

"Try anything funny, and you won't have any children."

Kid grinned at the threat. Since Kaitou knew Aoko very well, he knew that it wasn't an idle threat. Not that he intended on doing anything perverted with her. As Kaitou, perhaps he would have flipped her skirt had she been wearing one, but that was a daily routine. As Kid…he was a gentleman.

Aoko blinked when a white gloved hand extended towards her.

"Since there's little else we can do in here…would you care to dance?"

Aoko quirked an eyebrow at him. "_Here_? _Now_? With _you_?"

"What's the confusion? We were dancing earlier, weren't we?"

"I was trying to _capture_ you!!"

Kid waved it off. "Difference of opinion."

Aoko stared hard at him. "What are you up to?"

Kid grinned. "Why…passing the time! And answering your earlier question."

Aoko blinked a couple times, then her eyes widened. After that, her cheeks flushed with either embarrassment or anger…perhaps both. When she spoke again, she spoke slowly as if she was speaking to a child, or trying to understand it, herself.

"Are you saying…that you broke out of prison…entered my house…and staged a grand chase……_just_ to _dance_ with me?"

Kid beamed. "And if I did?"

For a moment, Aoko stared at him, slack-jawed. Then, she shook her head. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

Kid slid his hand into hers. "Well…besides the fact that I've always wanted to dance with you…_my_ bathroom is too small for dancing." He tilted his head a bit as if considering what he just said, then added, "Or, it was."

Aoko couldn't argue that…a prison bathroom couldn't have been too spacious.

"So…care to dance?"

"There isn't any room."

Kid responded with a dazzling smile that he typically used on an audience, yet there was a bit more warmth in it. Warmth that was reserved only for her. "Just use your imagination, Miss Aoko. You'll find that there's plenty of room to dance if you can imagine it."

* * *

When Aoko woke up the next morning, she was in her own bed, and the bathroom had been fixed back to its proper state. For a moment, she wondered if it was all a dream…but then she spied a red rose that lay on the pillow next to her, with a simple message written on it:

_"Let's dance again."_

As for the news…they were in an uproar over Kid's daring escape from prison.

**END**


	2. Whatever Can Go Wrong

Written for the Writing Survivor challenge on SHINE...we were allowed to pick any fandom, and have to complete a daily prompt/challenge by the daily deadline in order to stay in the game. I chose Detective Conan/Magic Kaitou...this is the second entry.

**Words:** 2,133  
**Character(s):** Kaitou Kuroba (Kaitou Kid), Shinichi Kudou, Heiji Hattori  
**Raiting:** PG (for language)  
**Prompt:** #2; "Exploits" and "Mask"  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine!! Gosho Aoyama owns all!  
**Notes: **

-Takes place after my story, "Rebirth"

-"Osaka-ben" is the term for the accent of people from the Kansai are

-The Second Division in the Japanese MPD is the one that deals with robbery and theft

-Italics during the tale is the others interrupting to comment on it; the adventure Kaitou describes is completely made up, but everything else mentioned beforehand has happened in the series (except the downfall of the syndicate, since the series isn't finished yet)

* * *

Whatever Can Go Wrong…

It was a nice, sunny day, and three 16 year old boys were enjoying the peacefulness of the weekend…something that they typically didn't get to do for one reason or another.

They weren't spending it outside, as they were all seated around the library of the Kudou household. Though, that could have been due to the fact that all of them had finally just gotten out of the hospital after their final clash with an underground crime syndicate.

The teen that sat on the armchair was known as Shinichi Kudou, and had dark brown hair with a cowlick in the back, and piercing blue eyes. He wore a blue sweater that almost hid the cast on his arm, and a pair of jeans with white socks on his feet. He seemed harmless enough, but he had deadly aim with both a soccer ball and a gun, though his greatest weapon was his detective brain.

Sprawled on a bean bag chair, that had only been moved in due to the insistence of the one that sat there, was Kaitou Kuroba. Typically a class clown, but also the mysterious thief, Kaitou Kid. He had messy brown hair and indigo eyes, and wore a simple lavender sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. He, too, merely had socks on his feet, though one leg was propped up on another beanbag chair.

The final teen had much darker skin than his two companions, and black hair that was half hidden under a blue-rimmed, white baseball cap that was positioned backwards on his head. He sat on the couch, dressed in a teal shirt under a jean jacket, with blue jeans and socks.

He was Heiji Hattori, and had a heavy Osaka-ben dialect as he spoke, "…and, when I accident'ly broke that bottle of wine at that cop's villa, and it got blamed on a dorm mouse that was only part of it. Or when I got suckered inta the pace of the trap the criminal set up, an' if Kudou hadn't shown up, in his own body then, the wrong guy woulda been arrested."

Kaitou snickered. "That sucks. Okay, Kudou! You're up!"

Shinichi crossed his arms in mock thoughtfulness. "Let's see…where do I start? I made a name for myself as a high school detective…then tailed two guys in black after a murder on a roller coaster, was clocked over the head by one of them after witnessing an illegal trade, force fed an experimental poison, and wound up in the body of a seven year old child. Then trying to get the police to take me seriously around cases…"

Heiji snickered. "Yea… 'Conan-chan'!"

Shinichi leveled him a glare that could have frozen hell.

Kaitou laughed. "Okay, okay…I guess managing to get turned into a little kid is an accomplishment. He one-ups you on that, Hattori!"

Heiji rolled his eyes. "How about dead bodies, Kudou? You're a freak'n curse!"

Kaitou broke into more laughter.

Shinichi huffed. "At least they don't fall out of the sky."

"That was only once! And sides, it doesn't change the fact that wherever ya go, there's a murder."

"Not true!"

"Oh, sorry…fergot bout the kidnap'n cases and robbery stuff, too!" Heiji grinned innocently.

"Hattori…!" Shinichi growled in warning. Then, he grinned. "Are you sure _you_ aren't the curse? I mean, up until Haibara developed the antidote to the poison and I got my body back, every time I visited _you_, there was a murder case!"

Kaitou just clutched his sides as he howled in laughter.

"You go, then!" Heiji turned to the thief. "What awesome accomplishments have _you_ done?"

Kaitou suddenly grinned, like the cat that caught the canary.

Shinichi groaned. "I think the better question is, what _hasn't_ he done…or, what hasn't he _stolen_."

"Quite right, Kudou!" Kaitou chirped. "And, I'd like to call them 'exploits'. Though, if you're counting accomplishments a-la Murphy's Law, I'll have to go with the time I went to steal the Mask's Ruby…"

* * *

It was supposed to be an easy, clean heist, particularly since it was Kaitou Kid that was in charge of it. He had infiltrated the second mansion where the gem he wanted was stored by easily disguising himself as a security guard. The gem in question was supposedly a famous ruby that had once adorned the mask of a queen from centuries ago.

The traps around it could be easily bypassed, and since it was a time before he had tiny, annoying detectives on his case…

* * *

"_What was that, Kuroba?" Shinichi narrowed his eyes._

"_A-nnoy-ing," Kaitou chirped in response._

"_What about that stick up his ass, Hakuba?" Heiji questioned._

"_Pfft…that moron? The only thing he can catch is a cold! Now, where was I…?"_

_

* * *

  
_

…it should be a snap to get in, get the gem, and get back out with it.

Of course, had he known that he was in for his most unlucky night, he probably would have stayed home.

The mansion was huge, and surrounded by fences. There was a second, slightly smaller mansion next to the first, which was the display museum that the old lady who owned the property and the collection had. It was lined with windows, and sat next to a giant lake with a forest on the other side.

Really, could the old lady have made it any easier?

Though, there were no spectators there…that should have sent off warning bells in Kid's mind that this would not go well. After all…he sent his little notices in advance to stir up commotion.

But, it wouldn't be his first heist where the person didn't even call the Second Division or hire more security, so he just thought the woman was senile.

Sneaking in was the easy part. Of course, his rope decided to break when he was halfway up to the fifth story window where the gem would be, so he had to quickly fire another one attached to a card from his card gun.

Thankfully, the sharpened card sunk into the wooden windowsill, and he was saved from an untimely death if he hit the ground, or a dip in the lake if he strayed from the side of the building.

Unlocking the window as a cinch, and he stealthily slipped into the building. Not a single alarm went off…after all, he knew where they all were, and had disabled some of them prior to entering the building.

Thank you, floor plans!

He was just about on top of his prize, when he literally found himself on top of something that yowled.

Or, more specifically, the tail of something that yowled.

Instantly, Kid realized that he was surrounded by not one, not two, but about fifty cats…

* * *

"_You're exaggerate'n!" Heiji interrupted._

_"Am not! In fact, there were probably more of the beasts in there!" Kaitou responded defensively._

* * *

…including the one whose tail he had stepped on.

Whomever designed burglar alarms had nothing on the natural yowls of cats. Or, the screeches that they made when they were angry.

He had only stepped on one of them, yet the entire mob of cats began to yowl like some demented alarm system.

It was _worse_ and _louder_ than an alarm system, in fact! And that first cat he stepped on had turned around and sunk its claws into his leg.

After a few yelps of pain, Kid managed to trip and stumble over to the case that held the gem. He could hear the shouts of the old woman coming up the stairs…what, had she camped out in the building or something to wait for him?!

Working quickly, he was able to free the gem of its glass prison just as the old lady got to the top, swearing like a sailor and wielding a broom…

* * *

_"A broom?" Shinichi looked hard pressed not to laugh._

_Heiji had no reservations about laughing._

_"Yes, a broom! She called me a 'large, white rat', even!" Kaitou looked highly affronted._

* * *

…and began to chase Kid through the fifth floor of the building with aforementioned object.

Honestly, brooms should have been classified as lethal objects. Along with mops, which Aoko wielded very skillfully.

Kid fled, dodging cats left and right as the little buggers tried to dig their claws into him, then made his escape out the window by diving right out.

Normally, that wouldn't be a problem…he was the best in the air, after all, and loved soaring.

Yet, this time, his glider jammed and wouldn't open. Kid blamed it on the cats…one of the creatures from hell must have managed to hit the mechanism of his cape-glider when they jumped at him.

But, he wasn't well known for resourcefulness for nothing. With a couple flips, he managed to land solidly on a branch of a tree that extended out over the lake, from a small island in the middle of said body of water.

Of course, this was another mistake, as the branch cracked, then sent him into the icy depths of the water.

It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't for the freezing temperature, and his sudden awareness of a fiendish water dweller…

…no, a lot of fiendish water dwellers! With slimy scales, beady and stupid round eyes, puckered lips too smooth to be natural, and thin appendages sticking out of their sides and back…

* * *

"_Wait, wait!" Shinichi interrupted. "Fish? Are you talking about fish, Kuroba?"_

_Kaitou sulked._

_Heiji burst into more laughter, and Shinichi joined him shortly after._

_Kaitou glared at them both. "Hey, everyone is afraid of something!"_

"_But…__**fish**__? I guess you wouldn't want to come fishing with us sometime, huh?" Shinichi managed to get out between laughter._

"_Oh, and you're not afraid of your girlfriend, Kudou?" Kaitou scowled._

_Shinichi paused. "Ran? Why would I be afraid of her?"_

_Heiji never lost an opportunity to tease his friends. "Cause ya cringe when she's pissed!"_

_Shinichi rolled his eyes. "She's a black belt in karate…she's taken down armed criminals with her bare hands, freaking drop kicked one of them, and put a dent in a telephone pole by punching it! I think I'm justified in being a little wary of her when she's angry!"_

_Heiji considered that. "Point."_

_"**Anyway**…!" Kaitou interrupted to continue his tale._

_

* * *

  
_

…Kid leapt from the pond without any of the grace he was known for at just the sight of the beady eyed monsters. He probably broke a couple world records in swimming right then and there, then collapsed on the opposite bank in the forest to get his breath back.

He wasn't able to rest long, as Murphy wasn't through with him, yet.

A growl alerted him to the fact that he had just stepped into the old woman's 'animal kingdom', and he hesitantly looked up into the eyes of two very large, very angry, grizzly bears.

A nasty curse word sprung from his mouth that started with "f" and ended in "k" before he jumped to his feet and tore through the forest.

After a moment, the bears followed with a roar…

* * *

_"Don't you know any survival skills, Kuroba?" Shinichi quirked a brow. "You never look a wild animal in the eyes, and you never turn your back on them! They'll see you as prey."_

_"Yes, I found that out the hard way. Thanks, Kudou. Now let me finish!"_

* * *

…Kid ran like mad through the forests, and finally came to sweet salvation.

Or, what would have been sweet salvation, if the wall wasn't coated in barbed wire.

Kid supposed that it was to keep the animals inside, but it also kept him inside.

With said animals.

That wanted him as their next snack.

Kid didn't know how much longer the chase went, but just as he thought he wouldn't be able to run anymore, he discovered that the ground below him was no longer solid. Sometime during his frenzied run, he had managed to get out of the animal kingdom and into an area next to it that was still under a bit of construction.

Thus, the large, uncovered sewage drain that he had literally stumbled over.

* * *

"…by the time I got out of the sewer and back home, I looked like a scratching post, was soaking wet, freezing cold, and smelled so bad that it took about five showers to get all that rank odor out!" Kaitou concluded his tale.

Shinichi grinned in amusement. "So, how did you give the gem back? You usually return them, don't you?"

Heiji snickered. "Didja go through all that again?"

Kaitou slumped in his beanbag chair and scowled. "Hell no. I wrapped it up all nice and neat...then sent the damned thing to her, fedex. Let the mailman deal with the old coot and her crazy property...I was never going back there _ever_ again!"

**END**


	3. Time Thief

For Day 3's Survivor challenge!

**Fandom:** Detective Conan/Magic Kaitou  
**Words:** 2,310  
**Character(s):** Kaitou Kuroba (Kaitou Kid)  
**Raiting:** PG (for swearing)  
**Prompt:** #3; Genre-Swap and a "Whatever you want to do, do it now. For life is time and time is all there is." theme  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine!! Gosho Aoyama owns all! Welp, except for Falc...I made him up.  
**Notes:** Since Detective Conan is a Mystery anime/manga, I chose the Fantasy to genre-swap it to. High-tech fantasy (akin to the Final Fantasy worlds...airships and the like), but fantasy, still.

* * *

Time Thief

A hand ran through messy brown hair as indigo eyes blinked in confusion.

Kaitou Kuroba, 16 year old student, class clown, and part-time infamous phantom thief, had no idea how he had gotten to where he was.

In fact, he didn't even know _where_ he was, except that there was no way it was where he was supposed to be.

He currently wore a dark blue t-shirt with a jagged orange line through the center that wrapped around to the back, while the collar and sleeves were lined with the same color. A pair of jeans and casual sneakers completed the outfit.

After he established that all his limbs were in functioning order, he stood up and looked around.

From what he could tell, he appeared to be on some sort of ship…only, it didn't feel like the ship was in the water, because there was no rocking movement.

The floor was made of wood and probably reinforced with metal linings like the walls were, and there were a few doors along the hallway that he had suddenly found himself in.

It sure _felt_ like a ship.

Curiously, Kaitou went towards the stairs on the end of the hallway. Perhaps if he got on deck, he could figure out where he was, or ask a captain where the ship was bound.

Yet, when he opened the door, he was nearly swept away.

Kaitou's jaw dropped open as he walked numbly out onto the deck of the ship and stared over the railing.

His brain decided to short circuit.

Now, he had been on helicopters, planes, and other aircrafts…but as far as he knew, boats didn't _fly_.

Yet, that's what this thing was doing.

There wasn't even a balloon at the top which would indicate that it was some sort of blip or zeppelin.

No…there was a sail above the enclosing that he had just come out of, along with what was probably the control room since it was encased in glass, but the ship wasn't flying from hot air.

Now that he was on the deck, he could feel the hum of a motor from the depths of the ship, and could see a wing that extended out from the side…there were a couple wings, actually. They didn't flap, but they weren't made of metal, either.

Kaitou wasn't sure what they were made out of, and at that point, he probably didn't care.

A glance over the edge told him that they were high above the ground, but the ground didn't look familiar, either. He could see the faint outlines of some sort of town, but there were no lights from it, or grand buildings. In fact, most of the land seemed to be plains, river, and forests rather than cities and highways.

"What the fu…?" Before Kaitou could finish his sentence, a loud, gruff voice interrupted from behind him.

"Hey! Who're you!?"

Kaitou spun around as his hand dropped towards his pocket where he kept his card gun.

There were three men there, all of which adults. Two of them looked to be in their thirties, while the other was probably in his twenties.

Their clothing was odd, at least to Kaitou.

They wore a similar style of clothing even though the colors varied.

The man that had spoken had black hair and a slight beard, with beady gray eyes and tan skin. He was muscular, and wore a red sleeveless tunic that revealed those muscles. There were a pair of leather gloves over his hands that had cuffs that curled back halfway to his forearms, and wore a black belt to hold up a pair of khaki colored pants that were tucked haphazardly into a pair of boots that went up to his shins and seemed to match his gloves. On his belt were two pouches, each containing a type of revolver that Kaitou had never seen before in his life.

The second man was slightly taller than the first, and had dark brown hair and blue eyes. He, too, wore a red tunic, but his had short sleeves, and he wore a black long sleeve tunic shirt underneath it. His pants were black as well, and he, too, had brown gloves and boots. This one only had one ancient-looking revolver, as the other side of his belt had a couple pouches on it, instead.

The youngest, with long black hair, had a long sleeve red tunic (Kaitou was beginning to notice a trend with that color) that had black linings, and a pair of off-white pants that dipped into brown boots. Like the other two, he wore a pair of gloves on his hands, but rather than guns, he had wrenches and other tools that hung at his belt.

"He's dressed funny," the man with one revolver grunted.

"He ain't from around here, that's obvious…how'd he get onta the ship, though? We checked fer stow-aways 'fore we left!" the man with the mustache crossed his beefy arms.

Kaitou gulped. Then, he smiled nervously. "I was hoping you could tell me that, because I have no clue how I got here…"

Actually, he did. If he remembered right, he had been on a heist, and had just picked up his latest acquisition when he suddenly found himself inside this flying contraption.

"What do we do with 'em?" the youngest asked.

"Throw 'em in the brig," said the mustached man.

Kaitou groaned, but had little choice but to cooperate, as two of the three men were practically all muscle.

* * *

The brig was in the bottom of the ship, and wasn't as well lit as the rest of the ship had been, but it wasn't dank or cold like he had expected.

In fact, it was almost unbearably hot.

There was a simple metal cot in one corner of the room, and some sort of round thing with a hole in it that Kaitou _supposed_ might be a toilet.

The bars and lock were simple, particularly compared to what Kaitou had picked as the Kid, but he decided that, since he was in a strange place and on a strange ship, he might as well go along with it.

A man that was probably in his thirties stood watch by the entrance of the cell. Like the others, he wore a red tunic and a pair of leather pants. This guy had a long rifle in his hands that reminded Kaitou of the sort he saw in the history books, and a revolver on his belt.

"So…uh…where am I, exactly?" Kaitou ventured.

The guard glanced at him, then snorted and looked away again.

Kaitou scowled. "Hey, come on, now! I'm just as confused as you probably are! One minute I'm…uh…_acquiring_…an item, and the next, I'm in this strange ship, surrounded by armed guys in red shirts, and then thrown in prison! The least you can tell me is where I am…!"

It wasn't the guard that spoke, but a deep voice from out of Kaitou's sight range that had probably just entered the brig's hallway.

"You're on The Hound, a top rate pirate ship."

Kaitou blinked a couple of times, then deadpanned, "Where I'm from, pirate ships don't _fly_."

A grizzled man came into view. He, too, wore a red tunic, but he had a brown leather jacket over that. He seemed just as fit as the others, and was also packing a revolver, though his looked slightly different from the others Kaitou had seen. The only difference about this man was the knowing gleam in his eyes, and the pair of goggles that rested on his forehead and trapped his wild, brown hair.

"I'm Falc Woris , the captain of this vessel. If ya ain't familiar with how we work, we're air pirates. We do what we want, when we want. Live life ta the fullest…that's our motto. Stir up chaos, but try ta keep human collateral damage to a minimum."

Kaitou found that he had to agree with that…as Kid, he did the same thing. Whenever he stole something, _nobody_ got hurt…save perhaps him. Or the occasional jerk that took a shot at him.

"Why's it so hot, here? What's moving this ship?" Kaitou asked, instead of the multitude of questions he had about the group.

Falc crossed his arms. "Steam engine. Proud invention of West City, the tech capitol of Gaia. And who're you?"

Gaia? _Gaia_?! What happened to _Earth_!?

Somehow, he managed to reply despite his shock, "Kuroba Kaitou."

His real name was fine…they didn't know him here, after all. Even if he had told them that he was really the Kaitou Kid, he would just be a random name.

Still, the teen had to grin. "I like your style, captain. I work an occupation that allows me to, shall we say…fly freely."

Falc smirked. "You work fer a group?"

"Nope. Alone."

"Hmm…"

Kaitou could tell that the man was still wary of him, and was about to open his mouth to try and rectify that situation, when they were interrupted by a young crew member.

"Captain Falc, sir! We've sighted a cargo ship at one-oh-clock!"

"What's it carry'n?" Falc turned his attention to the young pirate.

"Pottery due to the Royal Family of West City, sir!"

Falc grinned. "Excellent! That can fetch a nice price! Prepare the ship! We start the raid immediately!"

"Yes, sir!" the pirate saluted, then ran as fast as he could away from the brig.

Kaitou jumped to his feet. "Hey, let me help!"

Falc barked out a laugh. "You? Yer a kid! And I still don't trust ya. Jes stay here an' keep yer mouth shut, kid!"

Kaitou scowled the entire time Falc walked away.

There was no way he was just going to sit in a hot prison when there promised to be fun out there.

Kaitou grinned impishly and dug around in his pockets.

* * *

"Full throttle ahead!"

"No good…they're well armed!"

"We can't get over! They shoot down our ropes and cables!"

"Ram them?"

"Negative! They're using an armored transport airship! We'd take more damage than they would!"

"Well, dammit, figure out a way to get on board!"

The cockpit and gunner room, which was the epitome of chaos from frustrated pirates unable to get to their treasure, was suddenly halted by the cheerful voice of the teen they thought they had locked in the brig.

"It looks like you gentlemen can use some help."

Falc and the rest of the command room stopped in their tracks and stared at the gleeful teen that leaned casually against the doorway.

"How'd you get out!? What happened ta the guard?!" mustache man from earlier demanded.

Kaitou smirked. "He's taking a nap."

Yep…sleeping gas worked wonders.

Who said he had to be in his Kid getup to have some of his devices on him?

"We don't have time for this! Aim the air cannons!" Falc ignored the teen.

Kaitou pouted a moment, then strolled over. "If you let me, I can help."

The ship rocked with an explosion from the retaliation of the cargo ship.

"And from the looks of things, you can take all the help you can get. So, why not? Come on, Captain…from one guy that lives like the wind to another," Kaitou offered.

Falc sighed. "Fine! But I doubt you can come up with anything we haven't thought of…!"

"You just need a distraction, that's all. Make as if to flee…move the ship away. But only slightly. Just enough to get them to lower their guard. I can't do anything with the gunfire. After that, the distraction will come from atop the mast. While that's happening, get your quietest men to connect the cables, and send them across."

"And you can pull of distract'n a ship full of Royal Guards?" Falc raised an eyebrow skeptically.

Kaitou grinned. "Captain, I _guarantee_ it."

* * *

It was a huge success…and it all started with a puff of pink smoke from atop the mast where a young teen suddenly appeared, and spoke in a voice that seemed to echo throughout even space and time.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Royal ship…I draw your attention to the center stage, where the magic show is about to begin! You'd better not blink or turn away, or you might just miss this grand show! And now…let us start!"

That was all it took for organized pandemonium to ensue, as the members of the Royal ship were assaulted with Kaitou's mysterious magical performances. As people that believed in mechanics over the knightly ways of the Eastern Kingdom, seeing a teenager turn mast sails to giant doves was a little overwhelming.

Only half of them went down from the sleeping gas Kaitou had provided the crew of The Hound…the others passed out from the shock of seeing a twenty foot piece of canvas turn into a flock of tiny birds.

Kaitou had to grin at the reaction, and when he noticed that Falc's men had managed to get on board. His musings were interrupted by a red glow in his pocket…the pocket where he had dropped the prize from his world into.

The teen chuckled, then whipped out a white card and a pen before the red glow and billowing smoke around him would return him to his own world and his own time…

…he hoped.

The card was the only thing that Falc and his men later found of the teen. On the card was an oddly drawn figure of a head with a top hat and monocle that was grinning.

And, on the card, it said:

_Thanks for the thrill, captain! I have taken a bow, and as my final act, made myself disappear. But now I know that there is no limit to the sky. After all…I have stolen time._

_-Kaitou Kid_

**END**


	4. Go Fish

Day four!

**Fandom:** Detective Conan/Magic Kaitou  
**Words:** 637  
**Character(s):** Kaitou Kuroba, Aoko Nakamori, Toichi Kuroba  
**Raiting:** G  
**Prompt:** #4; "something the character hates that they have to face"; two out of the following: "spork", "stapler", or "toilet paper"; fic must be less than 750 words  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine!! Gosho Aoyama owns all!  
**Notes:** "spork" and "toilet paper" chosen; Kaitou hates/is afraid of fish

* * *

Go Fish

Six year old Aoko Nakamori stared at the mess around them. With Kaitou Kuroba as a best friend, she should have been used to this sort of thing, particularly in said boy's room.

But this was a little excessive.

Particularly since they _weren't_ in said boy's room.

In fact, they were nowhere near it, since the Nakamori and Kuroba families had gone camping together.

Aoko shook her head as she glanced around the tent, then finally focused on her six year old friend, Kaitou.

"Kaitou…_what_ are you doing?" Aoko crossed her little arms.

Kaitou, who was hunched over an open duffle bag…one out of many that were open in the tent…looked up with fear and determination shining in his indigo eyes. "Dad said we're go'n fishing!"

"So?"

Kaitou hesitated. He didn't want Aoko to know that he was afraid of the creepy water dwellers. No way! He was a guy, and he was supposed to be fearless.

"Well?"

"Um…in case there's sharks!" Kaitou finally exclaimed. "Cause ya never know where there's a shark! So…I'm gonna be ready to fight them!"

It wasn't an outright lie…except the part about sharks. Even at six, Kaitou knew that sharks didn't live in freshwater rivers and lakes.

Aoko gulped. "Sh-sharks? There are really sharks out there?"

"Dunno! But I'm gonna be ready in case there are!" Kaitou frowned as he went through his duffle bag. "Aw man…mom must've gone through my bag afore we left!"

Aoko stepped over a roll of toilet paper and entered the hurricane that was the tent a little more. "What are you looking for, anyways?"

"I knew there'd be fi…I mean, possibly sharks, so I had packed my wooden sword and shield. But they're not here!"

Aoko gulped. "Then how do we stay safe from the sharks?"

Kaitou frowned in thought as he gazed around the random toiletries and other items he had strewn about the tent. Then, his eyes lit up as he picked up a couple items and handed them to Aoko.

The girl stared at the items in her hands. "A…plastic bowl and a……spork?"

Kaitou nodded eagerly and put the bowl over his head. "Our weapons and armor! We'll be ready to combat those crazy fi…I mean, sharks!"

That's right! Those fish wouldn't stand a chance against him, now! He was ready for them! No more cowering in fear against the little buggers…he was a man!

He was going to stand right up to them!

He was going to fight them and conquer them!

He was going to…

"Kids! Come on! We're all set!"

…hide and never come out again.

Aoko and Kaitou exchanged wide eyed looks, then screamed and dove for the sleeping bags to hide under them.

A moment later, a confused Toichi Kuroba entered the tent. He glanced around, then easily spied the two kids hiding under the sleeping bag. His black mustache twitched slightly as he spoke, "What are you two doing under there?"

"U-um…" Kaitou stammered as he poked his head out from under the sleeping bag.

"We don't wanna be eaten by sharks!" Aoko wailed.

Toichi blinked in confusion. "Sharks?"

Kaitou nearly groaned, and pouted up at his father.

Toichi understood the situation in about five seconds, and began to laugh. "First, there aren't any sharks around here. Second…I was talking about the card game! We're playing Go Fish…the card game! You can handle that, right, Kaitou?"

Kaitou frowned. He didn't like the idea of anything that even had the word 'fish' in it, but…he couldn't lose face in front of Aoko. With a sigh, he crawled out from under the sleeping bag.

Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad…maybe one day, he wouldn't jump and cower when confronted with the real thing if he could at least play a card game called "Go Fish".

**END**


	5. Downtime

Day 5!

**Words:** 1,936  
**Character(s):** Kaitou Kuroba, Shinichi Kudou, Heiji Hattori  
**Raiting:** PG (for some swearing)  
**Prompt:** #5, family concept; must be first person POV; min 1500 words  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine!! Gosho Aoyama owns all!  
**Notes:** Kaitou POV; Kansai-ben is the term for the accent of folks from the Kansai area (like Osaka); a shinai is a bamboo sword used in kendo; takes place sometime after my fic, "Rebirth"

* * *

Downtime

It was official…I was going insane.

That was the only reasonable explanation for letting myself be cooped up in this tiny tent in the middle of the mountains to spy on some possible criminal.

I suppose I should explain a bit, huh?

Name's Kaitou Kuroba, age seventeen, with a side-job of being the most supported thief in the world, the Kaitou Kid.

How that came about is another story irrelevant to this one…

…well, okay, it's a bit relevant.

You see, not too long ago, I somehow buddied up with these two detectives (no, not Hakuba! The say _we_ work together is the day hell freezes over) not too long ago to take down this big, bad, underground crime syndicate.

Did I mention that said syndicate had managed to shrink one of them? That would be Shinichi Kudou, same age as me. He happens to be seated right next to me, too, playing chess with Hattori.

How the hell they got a chessboard up here in the mountain, I have no damn idea.

Hattori? He's Heiji Hattori, and like Kudou, is a high school detective. Only, he's from Osaka, and talks in heavy Kansai-ben.

So, then, back to the original question:

What are two detectives and one thief doing in a tent in no-man's land?

That has to do with why I became the Kaitou Kid…something I revealed to Kudou first, then finally gave in and told Hattori. They know my identity, after all.

I digress.

You see, it started with my father. For whatever reason he put on this white mantle and hat and went gallivanting around as the renowned thief, Kaitou 1412, which became the Kaitou Kid when Kudou's old man read the numbers together.

Yea…we were destined to meet even before we were _born_. How about that?

Where was I?

Oh, right.

So, this crime organization that uses animal names somehow gets on dad's case, he opposes them by trying to get his hands on the Pandora's Gem so they won't, and they off him and make it look like an accident.

When I found out a little over a year ago, I donned the cape to try and catch his killers…oh, and maybe get my hands on that gem and destroy it.

Immortality isn't something that humans need.

Even Kudou and Hattori agree with me on that, even if they don't agree with my methods.

Which leads me to where I am, now…in a tent with two detectives that insisted on helping me when Hattori managed to find a lead about this organization. It's a race all over again…but if we took down a world-wide organization, I'm sure we can take down dad's killers.

It's still quite an experience…even when we were after the Black Organization (that group we downed that I mentioned earlier), we did our separate things until planning sessions and D-Day.

But here, we're all together.

And, lemme tell ya, it's fun and annoying at the same time.

All of us are used to operating alone.

Well, I have an assistant, who's in the vicinity should anything go wrong, but he's never where the action is.

"Checkmate."

"Dammit!"

I glance over at the game that the two detectives are playing. "Kudou win again?"

"Hattori is overzealous in his moves," Shinichi responds with a grin.

"What's that apposedta mean, Kudou!?" Heiji growled from where he's seated.

"It means you choreograph. You show where you're moving," Shinichi explained.

"So, that explains why ya lost a couple times?" Heiji smirked.

Shinichi shrugged. "Win some, lose some."

I snicker. Chess…no thanks? I don't hate the game, but it's for people with patience. I'm a guy of action.

Then again, these two can be like that, too.

But, once I have a plan drawn up, I'm ready to follow it. I don't like waiting, and I don't like purposely keeping my mind two or three steps ahead of my opponent.

Maybe that's why they insisted on coming along…

"You wanna play, Kuroba?" Heiji offers.

"Naw." I wave my hand disinterestedly. "You two go have fun playing knights and castles."

At first, both sat there with dropped jaws.

I couldn't help but laugh…at least, until I saw an impish look pass between them.

This did not bode well for me.

The next thing I know, both are on top of me, tickling the living daylights out of me.

I mentioned that we're all seventeen, right?

Yea.

Yet, I was enjoying it in some strange way.

That doesn't mean I'm gay! Kudou's getting married after high school since he finally proposed to his girl, and Hattori…well…if he ever gets the guts to propose, he'll be dating that girl that always hangs around him, too.

And me?

I do _not_ like Aoko that way!

…okay, maybe a little.

So, no…despite the rumors, neither Kaitou Kuroba nor the Kaitou Kid is gay.

End of story.

This didn't mean I'd let these two gang up on me.

Hell no…I turned around and tickled them right back with all my might.

That's the great thing about having friends…_real_ friends.

And especially these guys.

We've been through a lot together…we took down an organization together…and we're going after another one. We've had to spend time in each other's company both in and out of the hospital…

…sort of makes an impression, ya know?

And, just like now…one minute, we're at each other's throats, the next, we're actually acting like kids our age should act.

Minus ten years or so, but still…

We share information, and the three of us play "cops and robbers", only the real version.

Where Kaitou Kid, me, is the thief, and they have to try and catch me.

And, if they ever do…I'll just get out and the game starts again.

Outside of our 'work' is this…our playtime.

Our target isn't back in the house, and these two have told me that, should I try to sneak into the guy's mountain villa while he's out and put myself at risk, they'll tie me up to a tree so tight that even Houdini wouldn't have been able to escape.

Considering how much survival knowledge Kudou knows, and what the two of them must know about knots considering their profession, I had to back down on that one.

So, there are arguments.

Take three teenaged guys and stick 'em in a tent together, and there's _bound_ to be at least one argument, even if it's if we're eating that can of ravioli that Hattori brought with him or if we try our hand at fishing.

Though, I think Kudou had been joking about that.

Ever since he found out my fear of fish, he and Hattori takes cracks at me whenever possible.

It's not unfounded…I do the same to them.

"Okay, okay! Truce!" Hattori finally puts a halt to our tickle-war, then flops onto his back on the tent, out of breath.

Kudou and I join him as best as we could in the small tent.

"Didn't know your stomach was ticklish, Kuroba," Shinichi states after a moment of us gasping for breath.

"Didn't know your feet were ticklish, Kudou," I drawl back.

Hattori snickers. "I didn't know Kudou was ticklish at _all_!"

"And you're _extremely_ ticklish," I respond with a grin.

Hattori flushes a bit and mutters under his breath.

Kudou and I exchange amused looks.

We can mercilessly tease each other, but it's all in good fun. We're friends…and we're also like some dysfunctional family.

Weird, huh? How just a little time in each others' company can glean knowledge that we'd never know otherwise.

Kudou parts the tent a bit and peers out with a pair of binoculars.

"Anyth'n?" Hattori inquires.

Ah…they're talking business.

I've scoped out the villa, myself…by air, of course. I don't need a copter to fly…my wings are a glider from the cape of my Kid suit.

Of course, Kudou went agro on me when he found out I'd checked it out that way, saying that there were a couple occasions where he _knew_ that my shadow wasn't a giant bird during some of his other cases.

After a heated argument, I agreed to never do it again.

"Lights are still off in there. No sign of movement. Think he knows he's being watched, and fled?" Kudou had that serious frown on his face.

I sat up with a sigh. "Doubtful. And, if he did…then we just start over. No big deal."

"It is a big deal!" Kudou snapped back at me. "This is for _you_, Kuroba! This is _your_ case! We won't let them get away."

I felt Hattori pat me on the shoulder…I must have looked fairly gobsmacked.

I was shocked, but should have expected it, honestly. Kudou is a detective…same with Hattori. They don't do it for the fame (though, I think they used to do that a bit before the entire Black Organization thing)…

…they do it to help people.

And, they've taken a personal interest in my case, because we're friends.

Damn…my eyes are itchy.

I shake my head, then grin. "I hear ya, Kudou."

Kudou smirks back, then reenters the tent. "So…anyone for another game of chess?"

Hattori gags. "Got a deck of cards, instead?"

The two look at me.

I roll my eyes. "Since when _don't_ I have a deck of cards?"

"Haha, Kuroba…" Kudou drawls.

I grin, then produce a deck of cards from my pocket. Of course, I did it in a way that made it look like they appeared in my hand.

The two detectives scoff, but I can tell they're amused. They know how every magic trick works (though, Kudou had to explain to Hattori, after laughing, how one makes a rose appear out of nowhere), but there's still _some_ childish innocence in them.

That, or it's the company.

I happen to make good company, I must admit.

Not to sound like I'm bragging or anything.

We didn't even have to ask what we wanted to play…it was unanimous by just looking.

Poker.

"Kudou, you count the cards, and I smack ya with my shinai," Hattori warns our other companion.

Kudou put on an air of looking innocent…something he acquired from his half a year in the body of a child. "Who…me?"

Hattori smacks him over the head, which causes him to snicker.

I, too, can't hold in a chuckle as I deal the cards out.

That's what I love about these guys…we're pals, but we're also that strange family. We've seen each other at our bests, and at our worsts. We've seen each other swathed in bandages and covered in blood.

But we've also seen each other laughing, or smirking as we figure something out or do something we enjoy.

And, yes, even we enjoy things that don't deal with dead bodies (the detectives) or rare artifacts and gems (me as Kid).

Like the time Kudou talked us into an impromptu game of soccer…and proceeded to whip our asses in it.

Or when Hattori showed us some Kendo swings…and smacked me over the head for a nice wise crack.

I thought it was funny…so did Kudou, who was laughing so hard he couldn't hold his shinai anymore at that point.

And me…magic tricks. I taught them a few, though they got it quickly cause the bastards already had an idea of how they worked.

Detectives…go figure.

So, here we are…one thief and two detectives…best buddies forever…camping out some dude that could belong to the syndicate that killed my dad…

…playing poker and laughing up a storm.

Seriously…I owe a lot to these guys, and it's the same for them.

**END**


	6. Flying

Day 6!

**Words:** 1,000  
**Character(s):** Kaitou Kuroba, Aoko Nakamori, Toichi Kuroba/(original) Kaitou 1412/KID  
**Rating:** G  
**Prompt:** #6; childhood moment, pig, and cake; 1000 words exact  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine!! Gosho Aoyama owns all!

* * *

Flying

Aoko Nakamori, who would be seven years old soon just like her friend, glanced over at said boy as the two sat on the couch playing video games.

Kaitou Kuroba had his little tongue sticking out of his mouth as he sat cross-legged on the couch, frantically beating buttons with his small fingers.

"So, what do you want for your birthday, anyways, Kaitou?" Aoko asked the boy.

Kaitou didn't even spare her a glance, his eyes glued to the screen. "Dunno."

"Aw, come on! You hafta know _something_ you want!"

Kaitou twisted his upper body a bit to the side as if that would help the character on the screen dodge as well. "Mebbe."

Aoko huffed. "Then _tell_ me!"

"I know I'm gett'n a good set for intermediate magic tricks from dad…dunno what I'm gett'n from the other kids…we'll be go'n to the zoo! Didja know?"

"I'm invited, Kaitou. I know…"

"Now, mebbe if I _had_ the zoo…"

"HUH!?" Aoko nearly fell off the couch.

There was a small 'thud' from nearby in the kitchen, but the two children disregarded that since both of Kaitou's parents were in there.

"That would take all the piggy banks in the _world_ to buy!" Aoko exclaimed.

Kaitou laughed. "I was just kidd'n…I wouldn't know where to put the animals."

A moment of silent stretched on.

"_Well_?" Aoko prompted.

"Well, what?"

"What do you want?"

"Hmm…how about to fly?"

Another pause.

Then, Aoko groaned. "Okay, lemme make it more specific…what do you want that _I_ can get you."

"Oh! Uh…surprise me!"

The only thing that kept Aoko from leaping onto Kaitou and mercilessly beating her best friend was the call from the kitchen.

"Kids! Come in for dinner! There's cake, too!"

Kaitou grinned widely as he paused his game. "Cake! Wooo!"

Aoko followed at a more moderate pace since Kaitou had scurried to the kitchen.

"Where's the cake? Where…?" Kaitou paused when he saw the item on the kitchen counter. Then, he wrinkles his nose. "It's small. And…it's _pink_."

Sure enough, it was a small cake, with pink frosting and decorated by strawberries.

Laughter came from his mother. "You'll be getting ice cream for your party, so I made a small cake for tonight since today is actually your birthday."

"Well, we couldn't have a party during a school day, after all," Kaitou's father, Toichi, stated.

"But it's _pink_!" Kaitou stressed to try to get his parents to understand what was so wrong with it.

Toichi's black mustache twitched as he laughed. "Only on the outside! On the inside, it's chocolate death!"

Kaitou's expression turned into one of appeasement. "Welp, it's fine, in that case."

Aoko rolled her eyes as the boy's parents laughed.

* * *

Kaitou didn't know what woke him up…only that his clock said that it was eleven at night, and there was a breeze in the room.

Wait…breeze?

It was true that he sometimes opened his windows, it being summer and all, but he knew he had closed it before bed.

Kaitou sat up with a disgruntled frown, then gasped.

At first, he thought it was a ghost…but another look, and he could see the movement of the white cape that billowed in the breeze from the window that the mysterious man stood by.

He wore all white…a white suit with a dark button down undershirt and red tie, a white pair of pants, a white hat with a blue ribbon around the brim, white gloves, and white shoes. There was a monocle over his left eye, and the child could see a black mustache on him and wisps of black hair from under the hat.

"Who…are you?" Kaitou eyed him suspiciously.

The man chuckled, then spoke in a deep voice. "I'm no enemy to you, young one. As for who I am…there are some things in this world meant to remain a mystery."

Kaitou blinked. That sounded like the things his dad and his dad's magician friends often said…

"I heard a wish of yours, and I'm here to grant it. That is all."

Kaitou hopped out of bed, now more curious than anything. "A wish of mine?"

"Yes. It's your birthday today, after all."

"How'd you know that?"

The man winked. "A magician never reveals his secrets, young Kaitou."

"Uwaa…you even know my _name_!"

A gloved hand extended towards him. "And, if you'll let me…I'll grant a wish of yours."

"Wish?"

A smile appeared on the man's face. "To fly."

For some reason or another, Kaitou found his hand in the man's gloved one. Strong arms wrapped around him and picked him up.

"I'm warning you…you'd better be tell'n the truth, cause if you hurt me or tryta kidnap me, my dad will beat you up! He's the greatest magician _ever_!"

The man chuckled. "I have no doubts of that. But, this is merely granting a wish."

What happened next was a blur to Kaitou…he was vaguely aware that they had left the house, and from what he could discern, had traveled fairly quickly one way or another. He didn't know how, because he had felt sleepy and closed his eyes in the man's arms.

When he opened them again, he gasped.

They were on top of the weather building, which was one of the tallest buildings in the area.

The wind was chilly that high up, even in June, and Kaitou could see the lights from below.

Then, before he could say a word, they were falling.

Kaitou let out a yelp, and was about to shout at the suicidal man, when he realized that they were no longer falling…no…they were _floating_.

They were gliding.

The man's cape had somehow turned into a glider, and they were soaring millions of miles up in the air, above the city but below the stars.

After his initial gasp at the beauty and freedom of the flight, the man spoke again.

"So…do you like your present, young one?"

"You kidd'n?" Kaitou smiled brightly. "This is the best birthday _ever_!"

**END**


	7. Visiting Hours

Onto day 7...I'm still in the contest!

**Words:** 1,986  
**Character(s):** Kaitou Kuroba, Shinichi Kudou, Heiji Hattori, Ran Mouri  
**Rating:** PG (for swearing)  
**Prompt:** #7; using 2 out of 3 provided quotes, can't use words (except names) starting with the letter "m", must be over 1500 words  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine!! Gosho Aoyama owns all!  
**Notes:**

-I chose "It squeaks when you bang it." and "I can't blow it, it's too small." out of the three provided quotes

-2000 yen is about 22 US dollars;

-"-han" is a suffix used the same way as "-san" for people from the Kansai area

-"keiji" means "officer"

-"hakase" is a term used to describe scientists and/or inventors

-This takes place shortly after my fic, "Rebirth"

* * *

Visiting Hours

He was on crutches to keep him off his right leg, but Kaitou Kuroba was just glad to be out of the hospital. He had visited with Heiji Hattori occasionally, who was staying in Shinichi's house until the other 16 year old recovered enough to be released from the hospital.

But today, he and Heiji had decided to visit their friend, Shinichi Kudou, as he recovered in the hospital.

It had been a week since Kaitou had been released from Beika General, and almost a week and a half since Heiji had been released. Though Heiji wasn't on crutches, he still walked with a bit of a limp as he favored his left leg, and between that and his healing ribcage, he was able to get away with an extended leave from school.

Kaitou was the same, though that was due to how badly he had injured his right leg.

"Think Kudou will be happy ta see us?" Heiji asked as they walked down the hallway to the room Shinichi was staying in.

"Course! We're his only source of intelligent conversation!" Kaitou grinned.

"A little full of yerself…"

"But of course, Hattori!" Kaitou snickered.

Heiji grinned. "I'm sure neechan has been visit'n him, though. She's pretty smart."

"That Ran girl?"

"Yep."

"Think he proposed, yet?"

"From his hospital bed? Doubtful. I'll bank on confessed, though."

"Wanna bet on that, Hattori?" Kaitou smirked.

Heiji smirked. "You dun know Kudou like I do…I bet he already confessed!"

"And I bet he hasn't!"

"What's your wager?"

Heiji considered that for a second.

"Yen only, Hattori…no stupid penalties for the bet," Kaitou drawled.

Heiji shrugged. "2000 yen says he's at least confessed."

"Deal!" Kaitou let go of one of his crutches to shake Heiji's hand.

"You're _so_ go'n down, Kuroba! I've known Kudou longer, and seen him with neechan!"

"Ha! You talk as if you've known him all your life! You only knew him after he was shrunken in the first place, from what I heard!"

"Wh-who told ya that?!" Heiji exclaimed.

Kaitou smirked. "Agasa-hakase."

"Figures. He can't keep his…"

"I wouldn't start a comment about keeping your lips sealed, if I were you. You've nearly let his secret slip _hundreds_ of times."

Heiji flushed. "And where'd ya hear _that_ from?"

"Kudou's folks."

Heiji just sighed. "Why do I even botherta talk with ya, Kuroba?"

"Cause I'm so sweet and charming?"

Heiji shuddered.

Kaitou laughed.

This carried on until they got to the room.

Heiji didn't even knock…he just opened the door and stepped in, which allowed Kaitou to follow after him.

"Heya, Kudou!" Heiji said cheerfully as they stepped in.

Shinichi was sitting up in bed aided by the angled bed and pillows. There was a Sherlock Holmes novel in his hands…probably something that one of his parents brought over to him.

His left arm was still in a sling, but he was looking a lot healthier than the last time they had seen him, and a good amount of color had returned to his face already.

"How goes it?" Kaitou questioned before he plopped down on a chair.

Heiji pulled over a stool to sit on. "What happendta the Queen books I brought over last time I visited ya?"

Shinichi grinned and closed his book. "Finished them already."

"What?! All of them!? Dammit, Kudou…you read bout as fast as I do!" Heiji groaned.

"I can lend you some Lupin tales if you want…" Kaitou offered with a grin.

Shinichi laughed. "Thanks, but no thanks, Kuroba."

"What's so funny?" Kaitou groused. _He_ liked reading about Lupin, at least…

"Just remembering…the very first encounter I had with the Kaitou Kid. Your father. I was six or seven when Ran and I found him in our school's library, reading 'The Gentleman Thief'," Shinichi replied.

"That warrants a full story one day," Kaitou stated.

Shinichi grinned. "If you want, sure. It's not like I'm going anywhere yet."

The three teen snickered at that joke.

"So, Kudou…we were wonder'n…" Heiji grinned.

Shinichi eyed him warily.

Kaitou finished Heiji's sentence, "…did you confess to that girl you talk about?"

Shinichi stared at them blankly a few seconds, then a wide grin spread across his face.

"You did!" Heiji whooped. "You did, didn't you!?"

"Yep!" Shinichi flushed a bit as he admitted it.

Kaitou groaned for some reason unknown to Shinichi.

"Ha! That's 2000 yen, Kuroba!" Heiji poked at the other teen.

"Shaddap…" Kaitou grumbled as he rustled through his pockets.

Shinichi gave them both a half lidded glare. "You two had a _bet_ on whether or not I confessed to Ran? _You two_? Who can't even tell _your_ girlfriends how you feel about them?"

The result of that statement was two red-faced boys that stammered various denials as they flailed about.

In said flailing, Kaitou knocked over a round object that sat next to the vase of flowers on the nightstand.

At first, there was silence.

Then, Kaitou reached down and plucked it up. "What's this, Kudou?"

"A tiny soccer ball…what does it look like?" Shinichi rolled his eyes.

Heiji squinted at it. "Oh! Like one of those bean-bag sacks…right? Hey, how're you gonna use it if your leg's broken?"

"Good question…you can ask Haibara that, yourself," Shinichi answered in a droll tone.

"That scary girl?" Kaitou glanced up. "I'm surprised she brought over a present."

Heiji snickered. "Though, it suits her…bring'n over some'n you can't use like that. Sarcastic as ever, that one?"

"Yea. I'm just glad she didn't bring something for her guinea pig, who conveniently isn't going anywhere right now."

"You, right?" Heiji chuckled.

"Who else?" Shinichi sighed. "I'm the only one I know who's been her test dummy since she was found by Agasa-hakase."

"Like some of the nightmares with the temp antidotes…yep, I remember some of that."

Kaitou, in the interim, looked back at the items on the desk. "What's this?"

The item he picked up was a small crow figure composed of soft plastic that one could probably squeeze, and was about the size of a small bean bag plushie.

"…the hell is this, Kudou?" the question was justified, this time.

Shinichi looked over, then laughed. "An invention of Agasa-hakase. I've had a dislike of crows ever since we tangled with the Organization…and even before that, once I found out the tune of their boss's email address."

"The Seven Crows, eh…?" Heiji pondered aloud.

Kaitou experimentally squeezed the crow, which let out some sort of dying noise.

Heiji chortled.

"It gets better…it squeaks when you bang it," Shinichi informed them.

"Bang it?" Heiji blinked.

Kaitou dropped it on the desk, then slammed his fist down on it.

To their amusement, it let out this pitiful squeaking sound before it deflated.

"Hakase gave you a _dog toy_ to beat up on?" Kaitou was almost red in the face from suppressed laughter.

"I think it was along the lines of one of those 'cheer up' gag gifts," Shinichi admitted.

Kaitou picked up the limp plastic thing. "How do you get it back to normal?"

Heiji squinted at it. "Blow it up like a balloon?"

"I can't blow it, it's too small, that hole," Kaitou responded.

Shinichi just sat back and watched with a grin as the two puzzled over it.

"Okay, fine…" Heiji was the first to lose his temper, to nobody's surprise. "How does the damn thing work, Kudou!?"

Shinichi chuckled. "Hit it again."

The two looked at him as if he had gone insane, then glanced at each other and shrugged.

Kaitou placed the deflated crow down on the surface, then smacked the poor thing once again.

The crow let out another squeak, then popped up as if instantly inflated.

"How…?" Heiji stared at it.

"I stopped asking when it comes to Agasa-hakase. He _is_ the one that created the power kick shoes, the tracking glasses, and the stun watch."

Heiji grumbled a choice word under his breath about the last device.

Kaitou grinned, as he hadn't been hit by one of the stun needles…yet, at least.

"It's a wonder that Mouri-han never quite figured out bout all those times ya tranqued him, Kudou." Heiji smirked.

"And since I'm in love with his daughter and with to stay alive, he's never _going_ to find out. I was smacked over the head enough times as Conan…imagine what he'll do to _Shinichi_. Particularly since he never really got over how I always 'stole' cases from him. And, once I get out of the hospital and recover, I'll be back in business."

"And his will go down…you'll have to come up with a reason for the sudden reappearance of his stupidity," Heiji commented. "Then the other folks ya've stunned…"

Kaitou leaned back in his chair. "Say they were channeling you or something."

Two blank looks.

"What?" Kaitou placed the crow back down on the stand.

"You think people'll believe that?" Heiji exclaimed.

Kaitou nodded. "You two are well trusted detectives. You could say that the sky was orange, and somehow argue the logic in it, and they'll agree with ya."

"Wait a sec, Kuroba!" Heiji shook his head.

Shinichi just looked amused by Kaitou's statement.

Heiji continued, "We ain't _lawyers_…we're _detectives_. There's a _difference_!"

"Uh, huh…"

"That's not you sound'n convinced," Heiji groused.

Kaitou only shrugged. "What happens will happen. It's either that, or tell the truth, cause I can't figure out how you'll explain how people will suddenly _not_ be falling into 'trances' to solve homicide cases anymore."

Shinichi offered a one-armed shrug to his Osakan friend. "Kuroba has a point, Hattori. There are a limited set of options about it. For Ran's dad, it could just be the highlight of his career…otherwise, the only way to explain it would be their subconscious parts of their brains taking over some way or another. Problem with that is…it could have them sent to see a psychologist."

Kaitou snickered.

Heiji sighed. "What're ya gonna tell that other girl you tranqued?"

"Sonoko? Absolutely _nothing_. Anything she hears, the entire town will know by dinner," came the response from the bedridden teen.

The other two laughed.

Shinichi looked thoughtful. "Though, I'll probably tell Takagi-keiji. I owe him an explanation. There were quite a few times when I swore he figured it out. And, he knew something was off about 'Conan' since almost day one."

"Your choice, Kudou. What 'bout Haibara? She taken the antidote?" Heiji inquired.

Shinichi shook his head. "I don't think she plans to. For her, this is the best she's ever had it, what with her past."

The other two nodded.

Before anyone could speak again, the door opened to reveal Ran Mouri.

"Oh! Hi!" Ran greeted the other two. She knew Heiji a little better than Kaitou, but was quickly getting used to the trickster's presence.

Kaitou grabbed his crutches, and Heiji stood.

"Well, we wouldn't wanna get in your way now, Kudou!" Heiji leered.

Shinichi glared at him in response.

Kaitou just laughed as he headed to the door. "See ya around, Kudou! And, hey, if you need a ring, I know someone that can steal it for ya!"

That said with a wink.

Heiji laughed. "And I prolly won't stop 'em, either!"

"Hell no, Kuroba!" Shinichi shot back, a slight blush on his cheeks.

Ran stood there with a thoughtful expression during the exchange, then smiled sweetly at the two boys. "Bye, guys! Oh…Hattori-kun? Say 'hello' to Kazuha-chan for us! And, Kuroba-kun…if I hear you tease Shinichi again while he can't get up, I'll drop kick you."

Heiji nearly tripped over his feet in embarrassment at the name of his not-quite-but-definitely-girlfriend.

Kaitou had paled a couple shades, and scrambled as fast as a person on crutches could to get away from the room.

Heiji was hot on his heels.

The laughter of Ran and Shinichi followed them down the hall, until Kaitou turned to Heiji as they both tried to catch his breath.

"Damn…she's _good_!"

**END**


	8. Knowledgeable Kudou

Day 8!

**Words:** 2,351  
**Character(s):** Kaitou Kuroba, Shinichi Kudou, Heiji Hattori  
**Rating:** PG (for swearing)  
**Prompt:** #8; Have the characters discover another character's secret (which can't be obvious), and use 5 out of 6 possible words somewhere in the story depending on if the secret is good or bad  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine!! Gosho Aoyama owns all!  
**Notes:** I chose a good secret, and used "old", "towel", "folder", "shower", and "box"; set sometime after "Rebirth"

* * *

Knowledgeable Kudou

"I don't know why the _hell_ I go _anywhere_ with you, Kudou!" An irritated Osakan teenager named Heiji Hattori groused.

"Are you sure it wasn't _you_? I get more phone calls than on-location murders to solve, since changing back to my own body," Shinichi Kudou retorted.

Kaitou Kuroba, who had a scowl on his face, interrupted them, "I don't know why _I_ go anywhere with _either_ of you, let alone with the two of you _put together_. I swear…you two are freak'n dead-body magnets!"

The two high school detectives turned to glare at the young magician.

"What!?" Kaitou huffed, then spoke in a perfect rendition of Heiji, "My mom won this free trip to a ranch, but got sick and can't go, so I wanna know if you guys would liketa come since dad's got work ta do and can't make it, either."

"Nice imitation!" Heiji grinned.

Kaitou scowled at him in return as he went back to his normal voice. "Yea…and now, here we are, in the midst of yet _another_ dead body!"

"Honestly, Kuroba…you talk about it as if it happens to _you_ all the time," Shinichi drawled as he inspected the broken ladder that had sent a worker to his untimely death.

The worker had been working on the roof of the information building when the base broke and sent him to the ground, where he broke his neck upon landing.

"It could be an accident, ya know. An honest to goodness accident." Heiji tried to pacify his friend, though he was just as frustrated that yet _another_ one of their trips had been ruined by a possible murder.

"Come on, Hattori…you've seen the ladder. It was obviously broken beforehand and put back together with a cheap adhesive." Shinichi stood up.

Kaitou jabbed his thumb at the police nearby. "Tell that to them…they keep shouting 'accident', 'accident'."

Heiji knelt by the ladder. "So, it was definitely a murder…or, an attempt ta hurt the guy. There was no guarantee that he'd break his neck upon land'n with just this set-up…"

"Not if he was drugged beforehand. His reaction time would be slowed, and he wouldn't be able to get his feet under him or make a grab for the roof when the ladder fell apart."

Kaitou stared at Shinichi. "Isn't that sort of an old trick? Drugging someone to help with murdering them?"

Shinichi shrugged. "Old, but that's what we've got. There was a faint scent of alcohol on the man's lips…and in the canteen of energy drink at his waist. Someone slipped some into his canteen, and it inhibited his abilities."

Heiji crossed his arms in thought. "That box of tools of his up there is proof of that, if the spiked drink wasn't enough. They're scattered oddly, as if he was try'n to figure out which tool was meant ta repair the rotted section of the roof. Yer trained repairman wouldn't have that problem."

Kaitou shook his head in awe. "I forgot that you two are scary when you're together. And not just because of rising body counts, either."

Both detectives glared at him, to which he responded with an innocent smile, then they went back to mulling over the information.

"The question now is…" Heiji started.

"…who did it…" Shinichi glanced at the three people that stood near the police.

"…and why," Heiji finished.

Kaitou merely sighed as the two discussed it while alternately watching the three suspects. If the teen remembered correctly, one was the repairman's best friend, who happened to work on the ranch. Another was the wife of aforementioned best friend, and the third was the owner of the ranch, a heavyset man that had come out to see what the commotion was about.

The magician yawned and eliminated the ranch owner from the list of suspects…he couldn't even fathom a motive, and the man had been tending to the horses with another stable boy the entire morning they had been there.

The other two, however…the teen wasn't so sure of. Then again, his friends were the detectives, not him. Sure, he could piece something together once in a while, but it wasn't his forte.

Kaitou hadn't realized he had spaced out until he heard the telltale voices of his friends when they were in 'detective mode'. He tuned himself back in to hear what they had come up with in the five to ten minutes he had been pondering about it, since both of them had those irritating smirks on their faces that indicated that they knew the solution while they explained the trick.

"…as for who did it…it was you!" Shinichi pointed at the woman.

Kaitou blinked. He would have guessed the man…

There were gasps, and the woman demanded to know what the basis was of the accusation.

"You're wear'n it, lady," Heiji pointed out with a grin. "That pen 'round yer neck…how come ya didn't use it to sign the waiver earlier when we all checked inta the visitor's house ta sign up for horseback ride'n? You asked ta borrow a pen fer it…how come ya didn't use that one?"

The woman paled as her hand went to the pen around her neck. "I…"

"That's because there's no ink in it," Shinichi interrupted her. "Now, it'll be empty, but if it were to be checked, forensics would find traces of alcohol…probably a fairly strong one."

Again, the woman paled. "But…but how would I know he was coming to fix the house? And the ladder…!"

Heiji clicked his tongue. "Simple. Ya snatched the folder that contained the schedules fer today on it this morn'n. I heard them say'n earlier that the thing had gone miss'n, which was why the owner was in such a huff, try'nta remember what had been written on it."

"Then, all you had to do was excuse yourself from your husband," Shinichi picked up on the explanation, "and go down to van of the victim. Since it was unlocked, you got in and used one of his own tools to cut through the wooden ladder, then used a mild adhesive to glue it back together. This was also when you put the mixture into his canteen."

Heiji frowned at the woman. "Jes give it up…you're sunk."

To Kaitou's surprise, and probably everyone else's, the woman did _not_ just give up. She didn't start to rage, or fall to her knees in tears…

Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a 9mm Glock Compact and aimed it around at the others.

The police hadn't been able to get a jump on pulling out their own firearms, and by the time they would have been able to grab them, the woman could shoot all of them dead at that short range.

"You want to know why I did it?" the woman addressed them coldly as she released the safety of the gun. "Because that man was trying to blackmail me into divorcing my husband in order to marry him!"

Her husband paled. "He wouldn't…"

"He was! But I couldn't go to the police with the information he had on me…he was quite good at digging up the information. He wouldn't let it slide, though…I offered him money, but it wasn't good enough!"

Shinichi glared at her. "So you chose murder."

"It worked, after all! And now…you cute little boys are going to just stand there unless you want a bullet through your heads." The woman edged over to the fence that separated them from some of the grazing horses. Or, more specifically, the area for the competition horses where there was one that was already saddled up.

The gun swung to point at Kaitou, who had been slowly reaching into his pocket for his card gun that he never left home without.

"Not a single move, kiddo," the woman warned. "Or I _will_ shoot."

Kaitou froze with a curse.

Heiji eyed the woman, then spoke to Shinichi out of the corner of his mouth. "If ya happenedta bring that tranq watch of yours, Kudou, now'd be a time ta whip it out!"

Before Shinichi could reply, the woman had mounted the horse, then fired at the ground in front of the police as a warning…and to help spur the horse on.

Startled by the noise, the horse took off, and jumped the fence on the woman's command.

The other horses nearby panicked at the sound, and started to run as well.

"Shit, there'll be a stampede!!" Heiji cursed as they had little choice but to avoid the panicked animals.

Shinichi, however, had a different idea, and actually ran at one of the horses.

"What the hell are you doing, Kudou!?" Kaitou exclaimed. He was fairly nimble, but not even _he_ had the guts to go up to one of those creatures when its hooves were flailing all over the place.

Rather than answering, Shinichi swung up on one of the mares without even a saddle, and somehow managed to get it to take off in the direction the woman had gone.

As the owner and the others attempted to calm the horse and the policemen radioed for backup to chase the woman down between dodging other horses, the two remaining teens gaped.

"Did you know he could do that, Hattori?" Kaitou asked.

"Nup. Ya dun think he expects us ta follow him, do ya?"

"I damn well hope not, because I'm not going _near_ those horses right now!"

The two watched Shinichi expertly ride his horse off in the direction the woman had fled on her own horse until they were out of sight.

* * *

Shinichi was grateful that he still carried around the tranquilizer watch that Agasa-hakase had made for him. He didn't need the power up shoes or some of the other gadgets any longer since he wasn't in a kiddy body, but the watch was a handy invention that he wasn't quite willing to let go of.

He hadn't been able to flip it open then, but he knew he would get his chance…and as his horse galloped through the woods at around 35mph, his mind quickly calculated what to do.

It didn't take long for him to guide his horse into clearing natural obstacles to catch up with the culprit…the woman had presumed that nothing would come after her since she wielded a gun, and had slowed her own horse to avoid some of the rocks and trees since she had gone off the path of the trail.

Thus, she was startled when she heard Shinichi's horse, and her mouth all but dropped open when she saw him. She fumbled, but wasn't as adept at riding a horse as she had them believe when she first mounted, and didn't dare let go of the reigns with either hand in order to fire the gun…which had been tucked into the back of her jeans after she had fired the warning shot.

Shinichi already knew it wouldn't be a problem, as he had seen her click on the safety and put the gun there after she fired the shot.

"If you come any closer, I'll shoot you!" the woman shouted.

It was a bluff, and they both knew that.

Shinichi just egged his horse on faster, and pulled it around to jump in front of her horse.

This caused her horse to rear up in surprise as it slid to a sudden halt.

The woman yelped at this, and slid off the horse to fall to the ground.

Shinichi leapt from his own horse, which was now halted, then past the frightened thoroughbred. He grabbed the stunned woman under her arms and dragged her away from the horse.

The gun had fallen when she hit the ground, and was now close to the horse, out of reach of both of them unless they wanted to risk being hit by the horse's powerful legs.

The woman, though dazed, looked up in shock. "You pulled me away from it…"

Shinichi let her go and flipped open the top of his watch. "I'm a detective…not a murderer like you."

Before the woman could comment on it, the teen fired the tranquilizer needle into her, which dissolved upon contact just like every other one he had fired.

The woman slumped, fast asleep.

Shinichi let out a breath of relief as he closed the top of the watch again, then went about calming the horses down.

* * *

"Yet?"

"No."

"Now?"

"Shut up, Kuroba! I don't see him, yet!" Heiji grumbled.

Kaitou squinted at the distance, then grinned. "Then you need to have your eyes checked. Look!"

Everyone had glanced up at Kaitou's call, and were surprised to see two horses coming towards them.

On the mare that he had ridden out was Shinichi, who had the reigns of the saddled horse in one hand as he led said horse with them. Slumped over the saddled horse was the woman. Both were a bit dirty, but neither were injured.

Kaitou let out a whoop, and Heiji allowed himself a breath of relief.

As soon as Shinichi stopped the horses, the police surrounded them to get the woman down.

"Damn, Kudou…you're still as reckless as ever!" Heiji snickered as he threw a towel, provided by the owner, at said teen.

Shinichi, caught the towel with a grin, and started to get some twigs and leaves out of his hair with it.

"That's not gonna work in the long run, but it'll do fer now," Heiji stated.

Shinichi glanced at himself, then chuckled. "Yea…I guess I do need a shower after that, huh…?"

Kaitou, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow. "So, Kudou…where did you learn how to ride a horse like that?"

Shinichi chuckled. "Dad taught me in Hawaii."

Heiji shook his head wryly as Kaitou burst into laughter.

"Flying a 747, driving a boat, shooting a gun, piloting a helicopter, and now bareback horse riding!" Kaitou shook his head. "Tell me, Kudou…is there anything your dad _didn't_ teach you in Hawaii?"

Shinichi just grinned in response. "When I think of something, I'll let you know."

"…cheapskate."

**END**


	9. Oral Report

Day 9 of Writing Survivor at SHINE!

**Words:** 764  
**Character(s):** Kaitou Kuroba/Kaitou Kid, Saguru Hakuba, Aoko Nakamori, Conan Edogawa/Shinichi Kudou  
**Rating:** G  
**Prompt:** #9; AA BB rhyme scheme at the end of every sentence, starting with "butter"  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine!! Gosho Aoyama owns all!  
**Notes:** "Keibu" means "Inspector"; the "taskforce" is the "Kaitou Kid Taskforce" which Nakamori leads in Division Two, dedicated to catching the Kaitou Kid

* * *

Oral Report

Kaitou Kuroba bowed to his audience before he spoke, "And now for a tale of a heist that went as smooth as butter! It's about everyone's favorite Phantom Thief, from everyone's favorite class nutter!"

A few chuckles went up amongst the class.

Kaitou grinned, then began, "Our story starts in the sleepy hours of the night, outside a building lined with windows of glass. People lined the streets outside of the museum to see Kaitou Kid's latest magic show. His target was the Moon Pearl, a gem as white as snow!"

The teen suddenly pointed to the ceiling and said, "And, there, in a flash of pink smoke, he has appeared! A magician thief so renowned, that even by detectives, he is feared!"

A sandy blond teen in the room muttered under his breath, "…yea, right…"

Kaitou winked at the teen detective, Hakuba, before he continued, "Kaitou Kid leapt from the top of the building into the black of night! The crowd gasped, and the taskforce below scrambled to head him off."

The teen heard his best friend (and possible girlfriend), Aoko, scoff.

But he ignored it as he said, "He landed, not on the museum roof, but in the midst of the crowd! Then, in a flash of white smoke, he was gone from sight with a noise ever so loud!"

Most of the class was hooked on the teen's every word.

"Somebody said, 'a person cannot vanish completely, it is absurd!'"

Hakuba turned slightly red in his seat.

"The trick was neat! The thief had made himself vanish into thin air! It was true, for they couldn't find him, not hide nor hair! The Second Division led by Nakamori-keibu was in a tizzy! They ran round and around to find him, I'm surprised they didn't get dizzy!"

A few kids laughed at the description.

"The Kaitou Kid had disguised himself as one of them, just for fun! They never found out, even though they tried. In plain sight, after all, is the best place to put something to hide! Oh, but Kid wasn't out of the woods, yet! A blond detective and taskforce couldn't find him, but one little detective was all set!"

A few heads turned in interest.

"The Kid's greatest rival passed the thief's test! For when the caped gentleman got through security as one of the members, the boy was waiting at the door. The thief wasn't deterred by the challenge, and just used a rope to get to the window on the next floor!"

Nobody said a word as they listened to the story unfold.

"Whatever the taskforce was up to outside, the thief wasn't concerned about, truth be told. He thought he was in the clear, since he had gotten into the building and past those that would be most likely to stop him. He snuck down the hall, and approached his prize's rim. His prize was in his hand a moment later. Nothing in the world could possibly be greater!"

His audience was most certainly attentive, which was always good.

"He thought he was in the clear as he reached the museum roof, until he saw his rival where he stood! The little detective had been waiting for him, up at the top! Persistent kid just wouldn't stop! He knew that Kid would use his cape! After all, pulling a glider out of his suit was how the thief typically made his escape!"

A few eyes widened in anticipation.

"The boy had his watch aimed, ready to stun! Ah, but the thief was ready for this little detour. He had thought this might happen, and even more! With a charming grin, he held his hands out in a gesture of surrender. What happened next was so fast, that it seemed to be a blur. He kept his aim steady. But the thief was prepared and ready!"

Kaitou was into it now, as he jumped about in glee. "He tossed the gem to the boy…as a distraction, you see. Then, there was a flash of white and a cloud of smoke! When the boy could open his eyes again, the thief was gone…no joke! The next he saw of the thief, he was flying through the air. Kid had gotten away, and all everyone could do was stare! A tie, it was, but the heist wasn't for naught. The gem had been returned, yes…but the thief was never caught."

Kaitou smiled and bowed deeply as he concluded with, "And so ends an oral report from me. On, of course, the greatest thief in history!"

**END**


	10. The Lonely Bull

Onto the tenth day! Today's challenge is...fables! So...the setting is a bit AU to fit.

**Words:** 2,012  
**Character(s):** Kaitou Kuroba, Shinichi Kudou, Ran Mouri, Heiji Hattori, Kazuha Toyama, Aoko Nakamori, Gin, Saguru Hakuba; mentions of Mitsuhiko, Ayumi, Genta, Haibara, and Sonoko  
**Rating:** G  
**Prompt:** #10; Fable with the setting of: Near the cows at a farm fair  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine!! Gosho Aoyama owns all!  
**Notes:** The main moral of the story is "don't judge a book by its cover", though I seem to have accidentally written in a couple others ( ^^;; ). I haven't written a fable since third grade or so...and I had to look up what a farm fair was, so I can only hope it's somewhat slightly accurate.

* * *

The Lonely Bull

Once upon a farm fair, in a parallel dimension, lived intelligent animals. Included in these animals were the sheep, the horses, the chickens, the pigs, and the cows. Of course, that meant that there was a bull there as well. If one looked, then they could see a cat or two, some pigeons, and a sheep dog on the land.

In this place, was a large crow named Gin, with feathers as black as coal. The crow was a nasty character, who picked on some of the other animals and stole their treasures. It had its black eyes now set on the rumors it had heard about the bull's treasure.

But nobody wanted to go near the bull, save perhaps some of the other cows. After all, Shinichi the bull was large, and had horns that were intimidating.

But Gin wasn't afraid of any bull. He wanted Shinichi's treasure of pretty rocks that said bull had found over time, and he was going to get it.

So, one sunny afternoon, Gin flew over to the cow pen to try and find the treasure. He didn't see Shinichi anywhere, so he figured that he cold easily find and get away with the treasure.

A sudden shadow blocked the light from the sun, and Gin looked up, ready to attack whomever had made the mistake of sneaking up on _him_.

But his cries died in his throat, and his beak halted mid-peck.

It was Shinichi…who was even larger up close.

Gin had only seen him from a distance, and had figured that the bull wasn't _that_ big.

But, now that he stared up at the bull, he couldn't help but feel something he had never felt before:

Fear.

Shinichi stared at him with sad, eyes. Then, he asked, "What are you doing over here, crow?"

Gin screeched and flew into the air a bit as he shouted, "Don't talk to me! Don't come near me, you big buffoon!"

Shinichi frowned as best as a bull could, but didn't respond. Gin's words had hurt him, even though he had heard them all the time.

Gin flew higher into the air. "You're even bigger and dumber looking up close!"

The crow was certain that there was no way he could get the treasure, now. Not since he was afraid of the big, dumb bull.

With eyes narrowed, Gin flew off to leave the pen. It wasn't fair! Someone else could take the treasure before he could maybe fool someone into getting it for him!

Then, a great idea crossed the crow's mind.

If he couldn't get the treasure, then _nobody_ would!

With a laugh, Gin launched into the air and flew until he landed at the sheep pen. He looked at a sheep grazing by the fence, and said, "Hey, did you hear? The brown bull is a maniac!"

The sheep looked up in confusion, then inquired, "Shinichi?"

"Yes! Him! He's crazy! He tried to attack me just for landing near him!" Gin gave his best impression of being ruffled and traumatized.

The sheep gasped.

"Tell your friends! Stay away from him!" Gin was inwardly laughing as he said this to the sheep.

The sheep nodded. It had already been wary of the bull next door, but this proved it!

The sheep told his friend, who told his friend…and before long, the entire pen knew of it.

Heiji, the sheep dog, tilted his head when he heard the news. "I don't corral the cows, so I've never really met Shinichi. Is he really that bad?"

"Oh, yes!" his sheep friend, Kazuha, responded. "I heard it from Mitsuhiko, who heard it from Ayumi, who heard it from Haibara! That bull is bad news! I mean, look at him! He's so _big_! He must be just as stupid! Not like us sheep! Or you!"

Heiji glanced over at the cow pen, where the bull was grazing with the rest of the cows. He supposed that the creature _did_ seem a bit scary…and there were those horns, too! He could fence the sheep, but not even _he_ was brave enough to go up against _that_ bull!

They were interrupted by Ran the cat, who had snuck into the sheep pen again. "What are you all talking about?"

"Shinichi. You know…that scary bull!" Kazuha answered the tabby cat.

Ran climbed up onto the fence when Heiji eyed her hungrily. "What about him?"

"He's big and scary!" Heiji barked.

"I hear he killed a crow!" Kazuha explained to her feline friend.

Ran nearly yowled. "Really!?"

"Yep! He looks the part, too! Poor crow was minding his own business, from what I heard, and BAM!" Kazuha paced a bit. Then, she jumped a bit. "I'm going to go tell Genta over by the pig pen! They should hear about it, too!"

Heiji barked as Kazuha ran off towards the direction of the pig pen.

Ran stretched on top of the wooden fence. "Shinichi doesn't look that tough to me. Are they sure about those rumors?"

Heiji gave a doggy shrug. "I heard it from Kazuha. He _is_ a big guy…he could stomp us flat if he wanted to. I'm sure killing off a crow or two is no problem."

Ran sat up. "But that just doesn't make sense…"

Heiji yawned. "Either way, I ain't gonna go near him. He looks dangerous, and stupid. Not a good guy for an intelligent conversation. Now…I see Ayumi straying off to the edge. I better go round her up."

Ran watched the dog run off, then nearly jumped when a familiar pigeon landed on the fence next to her.

"Not going to chase me today?" Kaitou the pigeon asked as he tilted his head.

Ran stood up. "I'm trying to figure out if I should be afraid of Shinichi or not."

"The bull? What about him?"

"There's a rumor that says that he killed a crow," Ran responded.

Now, Kaitou was a crafty pigeon. He was different from the others in that he wasn't afraid of hanging around with Ran, who was a cat. Sure, he still looked for scraps from the humans like other pigeons, but he didn't quite fit the mold.

Even Aoko, his pigeon friend, thought him to be unusual for a pigeon. That never stopped him, however.

Kaitou never really thought about the bull, or any of the other animals besides the other pigeons and his friend, Aoko.

Perhaps she would know more about this.

"I'll go ask Aoko." Kaitou flew into the air.

It didn't take him long to spot his friend, who was by a bench with the other pigeons, waiting for crumbs to drop from the humans.

"Hey, Aoko! What's up?" Kaitou asked as he landed.

"Did you hear about the bull?" Aoko questioned.

Apparently, Kaitou was right in asking about her about it. Did the entire farm know the bull supposedly killed a crow?

"I heard that he went into a rage and tried to break out! And that it took _five_ humans to stop him! Isn't that scary?" Aoko chirped.

Kaitou blinked at her. All he had heard was the rumor about a crow. And at the moment, he was beginning to doubt it. Sure, Shinichi looked scary, and he was certainly big, but Kaitou wandered all over the farm, and hadn't seen any sort of trouble.

"Everyone is staying away from him…I am, too! I hear that if you look at him wrong, you'll end up dead like some poor pigeon!"

"What? I thought it was a crow!" another pigeon named Hakuba broke into the conversation. "He killed a crow!"

"It was a pigeon!" Aoko argued back.

Kaitou was sure his beak was hanging open as yet another pigeon argued that it was a sparrow.

This was getting to be way too much for the curious pigeon. He was a little scared about facing such a large animal, but he had to know what really happened. Without a word to the arguing pigeons, he took into the sky and flew over to the cow pen.

Kaitou landed on the fence, surprised to see Ran the cat there.

"I thought I'd take a look," Ran told him when he landed. "Shinichi does look scary, but isn't it lonely to eat by yourself all the time? I usually eat with Sonoko. You know…the calico."

"I know who Sonoko is. I was just wondering about Shinichi, myself. I want to know why he's spreading rumors to scare everyone!" Kaitou fluffed his feathers.

Ran took on a determined look. "There's only one way to find out!"

And with that, the brave cat jumped into the cow pen.

Kaitou gawked at her a moment, then gave a smirk as best as a bird could and glided down to fly next to her.

"You don't have to come," Ran stated as she stalked with determination over towards the lone bull.

"I want to."

The can rolled her eyes at the eccentric pigeon, then crept towards the bull.

Shinichi paused in his eating and turned towards the two animals when he heard their approach.

For a long pause, nobody spoke.

Then, finally, Ran broke the silence. "Hi."

Shinichi bowed his head a bit to look at the smaller animals. "Hello. What brings you over to this side of the pen?"

Kaitou drew up his courage. "We want to know why you're spreading rumors that you killed a crow! Or a bird…or some animal…"

Shinichi blinked. "I did no such thing." He looked away from them. "Even the humans are afraid of me. Nobody comes near me. I hear them talking…saying how stupid I am, how ugly I am…how big. I can't help it that I'm big. I'm a bull."

Ran looked up at him. "You didn't kill anything, did you…"

"No," the bull answered.

Kaitou chirped. "I knew it! But, then, where did those nasty rumors come from?"

"I haven't the slightest idea. Perhaps it was a human. Perhaps it was the crow that insulted me this morning. Unfortunately, creatures tend to judge on appearance. For instance…you are a cat, and you are a bird. And yet, you two seem to be friends. Isn't that strange?"

Kaitou and Ran exchanged an amused and slightly enlightened look.

"I've often thought the same thing," Kaitou had to agree.

Ran stepped over, then rubbed up against the bull's leg. "You know what? You aren't big or scary. You're kind and smart! I'm sure others would know if they talked to you."

"They're too afraid to talk to me. You've heard…there are daily rumors…"

Kaitou rolled his eyes. "Ha! Leave that to me! You're a cool guy, Shinichi!"

Shinichi looked startled. "You would speak for me? Why?"

Ran purred. "That's what friends do. I know that _I_ would like to be your friend."

"Me, too! You're fun to talk to!" Kaitou hopped about.

Shinichi appeared to smile, and the two swore they could see tears of joy in his eyes for a split second. "Thank you. That means a lot to me to hear."

Ran giggled and sat down next to the bull. "That's what friends do, silly!"

Kaitou flew into the air. "I'll be back in a flash! Perhaps I should say something about crows…"

"Two wrongs do not make a right. I'm happy with just the two of you as friends. If more want to be my friend, then even better! But you shouldn't say nasty things, because words can cut deeper and stay around longer than teeth or claws," Shinichi warned the pigeon.

Kaitou pouted, then sighed. "Alright. You win. I won't say anything. But, I will say that you aren't a bad guy, Shinichi!"

With that, the pigeon flew higher into the air, and called out for the whole of the farm to hear:

"Hey, everyone! Check it out! This is big news! Don't believe everything you hear! That bull is a really nice guy! He just _looks_ big and scary, but he's not! Let that be a lesson for you! Never judge somebody by the way they look!"

**END**


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